“Moana” Star Auli'i Cravalho Jumps for Joy as She Confirms She'll Return to Voice Character in Sequel

Disney Animation's 'Moana 2' will release in theaters Nov. 27

The upcoming Moana sequel is keeping its star.

Auli'i Cravalho, who voices the title character in Disney's smash hit 2016 animated film Moana, shared a post to Instagram Tuesday to confirm she will reprise her role in the studio's recently announced sequel.

Cravalho, 23, posted a short video of herself striking a pose in front of Disney's famous Roy E. Disney Animation Building in Burbank, California, to the social media platform, in which she lip syncs to Beyoncé's recent single "Texas Hold 'Em."

"The feeling when you're officially returning to Motunui," Cravahlo wrote in a caption on her video, referring to the fictional Polynesian island the film takes place on. The actress also added in a caption to the post itself, "We’re sailing WAY beyond the reef this November… ❤️🌀🐚 #Moana2."

Cravalho's announcement of her return as Moana comes about three weeks after Disney Animation revealed Moana 2 will release in movie theaters in November. At the time, Cravalho shared the same short teaser the studio released along with the announcement to her Instagram, though her return as Moana's voice actor was not yet confirmed.

Related: Everything to Know About Moana 2

“Moana remains an incredibly popular franchise, and we can’t wait to give you more of Moana and Maui when Moana 2 comes to theaters this November," Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger said in a statement shared Feb. 7. According to a synopsis for the upcoming film, Moana 2 "takes audiences on an expansive new voyage with Moana, Maui and a brand-new crew of unlikely seafarers."

"After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced," the synopsis reads.

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The sequel, which will release roughly eight years after the original movie grossed $687 million worldwide upon its Nov. 23, 2016 release, is directed by Dave Derrick Jr., featuring music by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Opetaia Foa’i, and Mark Mancina.

Related: Dwayne Johnson Breaks Into 'You're Welcome' from Moana as He Reveals He's Shooting Live-Action Remake Next

Disney's Moana 2 announcement came several months after Dwayne Johnson, who costars in Moana as Maui, announced in April 2023 that Disney is also developing a live-action adaptation of the 2016 movie. Johnson will play Maui in the upcoming live-action film, though he has not yet confirmed that he will also voice Maui in the animated Moana sequel. Cravalho will work on the live-action Moana as an executive producer, allowing for Disney to cast a different actor to play the character in the adaptation.

"She has had such a profound impact on how we think of Disney princesses. Moana's strength and perseverance are inspiring — to audiences around the world, to me and to everyone who helped bring her to life," Cravalho said of Moana in a statement issued along with the live-action film's announcement. "I'm looking forward to sharing her story in a whole new way."

Moana 2 swims into theaters Nov. 27.

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